Rejecting God

Sermon Scripture:  1 Samuel 8:1-22

Introduction

• Samuel served God as a prophet, priest, and judge.
• Samuel led the people through a very dark spiritual time in their history.
• Samuel attempted to keep the people close to God as he became old and ready to transition out of the role of leadership he had held.
• Samuel was saddened by what the people asked God to do!

1.  The elders of Israel came to Samuel at Ramah to reject God and to find a king! Verses 1-5

• Two truths and a lie

          a.  Samuel is old
          b.  Sons are bad
          c.  A King would be grand!

• Israel said, “Our King will”: 

          a.  Judge us
          b.  Bring justice
          c.  Make us like the other nations
2.  Samuel was displeased with the request and sought God’s will! Verses 6-8

• He prayed to the LORD
• The LORD spoke to Samuel
• It is not you they have rejected!
• They have rejected me as their King!
• Continuation of the sins of the exodus! Resisting God and Samuel. Serving other gods

​3.  Listen to them and Warn them! Verses 9-10

• Solemnly warn them
• How the King will Reign
• What his judgments will be like
• Samuel share all the words of God!

​4. The self-centered judgments of the King of Israel: verses 11-18

• He will take your sons into his military
• He will make them labor according to his needs and wants: 
• He will take your property.
• You will become his slave.

5.  The people refuse God’s warning! Verses 19-20

• NO!!!
• The people refused the voice of Samuel which had been to them the voice of God!
• We will be like all the other nations!
• A King to go out before us to fight our battles!  Israel lost the Ark at Ebenezer to the Philistines. The Ark came home by the hand of God alone! 1 Samuel 7:10 The Thunder of God from the Thundercloud!

6.  Where is God when Saul is King? Verse 21-22

• God told Samuel to give the people the thing they asked for!
• God is still on His throne!
• God allows the free choice of men even when it is bad, or the lesser good!
• God works all these things to His eternal purpose! Conform us into the image of His Son!

Conclusion

• When circumstances turn south, it is tempting to turn away from God and find a human authority to replace God.
• Remember the dangers inherent to human leaders! Improper motives, self-centered decisions, a domineering “will to power”, coercion and greedy for the wealth of others
• When looking for answers to hard circumstances God gives us representatives who will point to him but not seek to replace Him. 
• When choosing which human representatives to listen to, it is imperative to examine their qualifications.  They hear God’s word, they share God’s word (even the hard parts), They minister to God’s people. 

So What

• God still wants to be your King because that is his nature!
• God gives you leaders to help you live under God’s kingship, not to replace himself with them!
• You will always have to resist the majority opinion that God is outdated!
• You will pay a price, if you serve kings other than God!
• You can rest assured that God is always working things out for His purpose even when people are rejecting Him!